Finally, back on the Board, but
 

I'm finally back to reading and enjoying this Board! We went on vacation, we're busy with family...Anyway, I got an email from my niece whose husband inherited 2 quilts from his GM. She was asking for advice how how to repair them. One looks pretty badly damaged but seems to be mostly one fabric that has deteriorated. ( the nine patch one) Maybe coarsely woven fabric? Any ideas on what to do with these quilts would be appreciated. Nephew in L remembers them at GM house and would like to keep them. They are both probably double bed size.

I would think about appliqueing a fabric that would compliment the quilt in the bad spots, then hand quilt the new fabrics in. If you could find something very close, then you could just add a few new ones in.

Good luck!

For the nine-patch, I would hand applique squares over the damaged fabrics.

For the green and white quilt, I would probably slip a small piece of fusible interfacing (or Misty Fuse, which is a double-sided fusible) into the gap, hand sew the gap shut, then lightly iron to set the fusible (which will reinforce the mended area).

Edit: I would also give the couple advice on how to wash these quilts in the future to preserve them. No machine agitation, and preferably laying out flat to dry. No clothes lines, as these are very hard on quilts.

Can you put on a label with her name/date she made it or a story of her on one of the bad areas...and maybe a picture on fabric in another area?

I would "un-sew" both blocks and take them out carefully, open all 4 sides 1/4 inch, of the blocks that abut the 2 that you take out, make 2 more total blocks and set them in and try somehow to quilt them again. Good luck whatever you do.

I had the same situation with my sister-in-law with (86 years old) and her mother had made a quilt looonnng ago. It was an old pattern and many of the blocks were just plain dissolved so I went and found some materials that were 1930's and made oh,,, cut about 40 pieces the sizes needed and ironed them under 1/4" and then gently hand sewed them into the missing areas. I tried as best that I could to make them match the idea of the quilt. She was very pleased and put it back on her bed and shared it with "Everyone!!!" Only took me about a month but it was worth the look on her face and the hug she gave me. Here are the pictures before and after.

The old quilt I have is draped over the back of a couch, out of the sunlight. I'm letting it grow old gracefully. It has places where fabrics have frayed and worn out but I'm now fixing it. I want it to have the character it has. It is more than 115 years old.

Beautiful job, QuiltingHaven!!!

DITTO from me too. Couldn't have said it any better.

Ditto that and that is a beautiful quilt pattern and colors. Do you know what the name of the pattern is? Thanks for sharing your before and after pictures with us.

I agree with prism99 as well. I have replaced 9patches in a quilt that frayed much like shown. For the other block I might just try to pull it together and whip stitch (or ladder stitch) in place. But adding a little interfacing to stabilize the edge of the fabric isn't a bad idea. I'm just not sure I would have thought of it.

Thanks for sharing those pix of the repaired quilt, QuiltingHaven. Seeing it on the bed, it's prettier than I imagined! I have the pattern for that & I guess it will move to the top of my list. thank you!!!

Also, there are people who specialize in repairing old quilts and have the actual fabrics available. I know because in one of my guilds we have two quilt historians and one of them does the repair work for others.

I would leave the 9P alone and reproduce it in similar colors. Just from the few pictures it looks like most of the quilt is in a fragile state and once you start working that material it is just going to get worse. Keep the original for display.

It is a cool quilt.

The other looks fine but once again, I would not want this to be used regularly but as a display.

Very nice quilts.
peace

If there are a LOT of bad spots I would cover with fine mesh tulle making sure all edges of the patches are secure by hand sewing or gluing or using a wonder under like product before covering with the tulle and then stitching the tulle down pretty closely. If it is only a few blocks I would replace them.

I have restored several quilts this way.

I totally agree with Prism 99 (love that name by the way), I would applique squares over the deteriorating squares, as it looks like it's the same fabric that is deteriorating, then quilt over them. I think they are a treasure and I would at least try to repair them, by appliqueing squares and using fusible interfacing to repair the rough patches. Then I would suggest soaking them in the tub, gently agitate them, squeeze as much water as possible out and then I would spread them out on a sheet in a shady area of your lawn to dry. I have used the applique method to repair a quilt I'd made, the first one I did on commission, where some of the black fabric developed small holes. Since it was a Roman Stripe Quilt, I appliqued the black triangles on, then quilted over them, following the SID of the other blocks. What a treasure you have and I would try to keep them in the family.

When we repair old quilts we need to remember it will be an ongoing project. I repaired one for a gentleman and told him when I saw it that if he planned on using it that maybe just to cover it with a reproduction print and tie it. The quilt had been tied. He said no he wanted it repaired. I shopped for fabrics similar, trying to match prints as best I could. It was 4.5 inch blocks. I replaced 92. When I started taking out the irreparable blocks I could see underneath that it had been pieced and quilted. She had been an elegant lady in her day. Those fabrics had totally disintegrated except for the shreds held down by the quilting. He was thrilled with it. Now, 5 years later, he is asking me again to repair it and now saying that maybe it should be covered with a whole piece of fabric as he wants to continue using it. Those are tough decisions.

On old quilts the fabrics are usually very thin and soft. So you don't want to patch in new thicker fabrics... kind of like putting new wine in old wineskins! I would recommend finding some vintage hankies and using them for the repair patches. They look as old as the original fabrics and aren't any thicker. They can blend in nicely. Looks like you will have to patch in some cotton batting in places, too.

What Quiltinghaven did. That was a beautiful restoration. I have done one on the order of the 9P, but mine was only the top and had not been quilted--I made one quilt out of two--and that was stretching my abilities; but it is my favorite quilt that I use on my bed now. During the 70s, one of my favorite aunts sat and pieced quilts out of her stash (this was before folks knew what a stash was) made of scraps from sewing jobs she had taken in for years and years. One of the squares has the fabric from one of the favorite blouses that I remember when we would visit with her. On a memory trip this morning.....

I would repair as suggested already, but I would also cover the whole top with bridal tulle. It will stabilize the rest of the quilt and will be virtually invisible when on the bed. I have done this on several quilts for others and they were pleased that the pattern colors showed through and the quilt was stabilized. Hope this helps.

Nice repairs.

spectacular job of repairing this lovely quilt!!! CONGRATS on a job well done.

Appliqué new fabric over the bad squares

Thanks every one for your suggestions. My niece is going to bring the quilt to me next month, so I can really see the extent of the damage. To me it looks pretty severe but we ll see.